discriminate

IPA/dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt/
KK[dɪskrˈɪmənˌet]IPA/dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt/

discriminate — verb

  • discriminatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • discriminateshe / she / it
  • discriminatedpast simple
  • discriminating-ing form

1. to treat someone unfairly by giving them fewer opportunities, less respect, or p

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to treat someone unfairly by giving them fewer opportunities, less respect, or poorer service than others, because of a characteristic such as their race, gender, age, religion, or disability, rather than judging them as an individual

Example

The company discriminated against older workers by passing them over for promotions and bonuses.

pattern: discriminate against + [group] + by doing something

Some landlords still discriminate against families with children despite laws against it.

Common collocations
  • discriminate against
  • racially discriminate
  • discriminate on the basis of
  • discriminate on grounds of
  • sexually discriminate
  • discriminate unlawfully
Synonyms
  • single out

    implies being treated differently from others, which may or may not be negative; 'discriminate' always carries a negative judgment

  • victimize

    stronger and more personal — suggests active harm, while 'discriminate' can describe impersonal systems or policies

  • show bias against

    less direct and more euphemistic; 'discriminate' names the action plainly

Antonyms
  • treat equally

    phrasal; the direct opposite of treating someone worse due to a group characteristic

Grammar Patterns

discriminate against + person/group

discriminate on the basis of + characteristic

discriminate on grounds of + characteristic

Usage Note

Typically paired with the preposition 'against' to name the affected person or group. Most common in legal, workplace, and social-justice contexts. This sense always carries a negative judgment — it is not used for neutral or positive differentiation.

Common Mistakes

The manager discriminated good work from bad work.
The manager distinguished good work from bad work.
In this sense, 'discriminate' always means unfair treatment; use 'distinguish' for noticing differences.
They discriminated women by paying them less.
They discriminated against women by paying them less.
'Discriminate' in this sense is intransitive and always needs 'against' before the affected group.

2. to notice or recognize the ways in which two or more things, people, or ideas ar

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to notice or recognize the ways in which two or more things, people, or ideas are not the same — for example, telling apart two similar colors, sounds, or flavors

Example

Babies can discriminate between different sounds from a very early age.

pattern: discriminate between [categories]

Researchers taught the monkeys to discriminate between different shapes on a screen.

Common collocations
  • discriminate between
  • discriminate among
  • discriminate from
  • discriminate + direct object
Synonyms
  • distinguish

    more common in everyday use; 'discriminate' in this sense sounds more formal or technical

  • differentiate

    very similar in meaning but appears more often in scientific or analytical writing

  • tell apart

    the informal phrasal alternative; natural in conversation

Antonyms
  • confuse

    to fail to see the difference between two things

Grammar Patterns

discriminate between + two items

discriminate among + three or more items

discriminate + direct object

Usage Note

Often takes 'between' when naming two specific items, or 'among' for three or more. Can also be used transitively with a direct object ('discriminate subtle differences'). In everyday conversation, 'tell apart' or 'distinguish' is more natural — this sense belongs mainly in formal, academic, or technical writing.

Common Mistakes

I find it hard to discriminate against the twins.
I find it hard to tell the twins apart.
'Discriminate against' always means unfair treatment; use 'tell apart' or 'distinguish' for perceiving differences between people.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

Distinguish, differentiate, and discriminate (sense 2) all involve noticing or pointing out differences between things. Distinguish is the most common and versatile choice — you can distinguish the taste of an apple from a pear in casual conversation. Differentiate is slightly more formal and often appears in academic or technical contexts ('scientists differentiate between two species of insects'). Discriminate in this noticing-differences sense has a formal, sometimes scientific tone ('the eye can discriminate subtle color variations'), and is less frequent in everyday speech. Tell apart is the informal phrasal alternative that works only for two items you can separate visually or perceptually ('I cannot tell the twins apart'). For everyday use, distinguish and tell apart are the natural options; discriminate belongs in more formal or analytical writing.

distinguish ↗differentiate ↗tell apart ↗

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin discriminare, meaning 'to divide, separate, or distinguish,' based on the noun discrimen ('distinction, dividing line'), which itself comes from discernere ('to separate, set apart'). The original meaning in English (17th century) was neutral — simply telling things apart. The modern sense of unfair treatment became dominant in the 19th and 20th centuries alongside legal and civil rights movements, though both meanings remain active today.